Rotary sheet-printing machine.



H. M. BARBER.

ROTARY SHEET PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18. I912.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Patnted Aug. 31, 1915. V

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. M. BARBER.

ROTARY SHEET PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED one. 18. 1912.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. M. BARBER.

ROTARY SHEET PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 050.18. 1912.

Patnted Aug. 31 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

lowing is a specification.

., ED sm'rns PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD M. BARBER, OF STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO G. B. COTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION or DELAWARE.

of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut,have invented anew and useful Improvement in Rotary Sheet-PrintingMachines, of which the fol- .This invention relates to rotary sheetprinting machines and particularly to that class of machines which maybe used for single or multi-color printing and consists ina novel sheetfeeding mechanism arranged to feed printing sheets from one source ofsheet supply and either printing sheets or slip sheets from anothersource of sheet supply into the machine, as may be desired.

In single color and in most multi-color work on machines of the classabove described, it is seldom, if ever, necessary to as the possibleoperating speed of a rotary printing machine of this character far ex-".ceeds the speed of a single feeder.

In some instances, it becomes very idesirable to deliver a slip sheetedproduct and slip sheets may then be fed from one of the sources insteadof the printing sheets.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in side elevation somuch ofa rotary printing machine as will give a clear understanding ofmy invention, Fig. 2 is A suitable printed sheet delivery may be asection from front to rear taken adjacent to the farther side frame,Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section from front to rear,and Fig. 4: is a horizontal section taken in the plane of the line A-Aof Fig. 1.

The machine is herein shown as having two plate cylinders 1 and 2 and asingle impression cylinder 3 having two impression surfaces 4 and 5 andtwo sets of sheet grippers 6 and 7.

The two sources of sheet supply are herein shown as tables 8 and 9, thetable 8 being arranged for feeding printing sheets to the grippers 7 ofthe impression cylinder and the table 9 being arranged for feedingeither printing sheets to the grippers 6 of the impression cylinder orslip sheets to the delivery mechanism, as the case may be.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

M. BARB R,

ROTARY SHEET-PRINTING MACHINE.

provided, that shown herein comprising an yatented Aug. 31, 1915. 7

Application filed December 18, 1912. Serial No. 737,431.

endless delivery carrier 10, a printed sheet delivery cylinder 11, adelivery reel12, and suitable guides 13 interposed between the endlessdelivery carrier '10 and the delivery reel 12. The set of grippers 15 onthe delivery cylinder 11 is arranged to successively coact with thegrippers 6 and? on the im' pression cylinder 3 for taking the sheetstherefrom when printing sheets are being fed from both tables 8 and 9and a double non-slip-vsheeted product is being delivered. Thesegrippers 15 are arranged to coact with the grippers 7, on the impressioncylinder 3 when printing sheets are fed from the table 8 and slip sheetsfrom'the table 9. The delivery reel 12 is provided with a set ofgrippers 14.

A sheet feeding cylinder 16 has its set of grippers 17 arranged inposition to take the sheets from the table 9 and when slip sheets arebeing used on the said table, these grippers are arranged to coactwiththe grippers 15 on the printed'sheet delivery cylinder 11 of thedelivery mechanism to transfer the slip sheets to the said grippers.

A sheet transfer cylinder 18 is provided with a set of grippers 19. Whenprinting sheets are being fed .from the table 9, the

grippers 17 on the sheet feeding cylinder 16 will transfer a printingsheet to the grippers 19 on the transfer cylinder 18 and the saidgrippers 19 will transfer the sheet to the grippers 6 on the impressioncylinder 3.

The impression cylinder 3, the transfer cylinder 18, the sheet feedingcylinder 16, the delivery cylinder 11, and the reel 12, areinterconnected to rotate at the desired relative speeds by the gears 20,21, 22, 23, 24:. The gear 22 is loose on the shaft 25 and a clutchcomprising a gear member 26 and a slidable member 27 fixed to rotatewith the shaft 25 serves to lockthe gear 22 to and release it from theshaft 25. A suitable operating lever 28 is provided for controlling theclutch member 27. The gear 22 is connected to the shaft 25 of thetransfer cylinder 18 for rotating said cylinder when printing sheets arebeing fed into the machine and the said gear 22 is disconnected from theshaft 25 of thesaid transfer cylinder for permitting the cylinder toremain idle when slip sheets are being fed into the machine. 8

A cam shaft 29 for controlling the movements of the grippers 19 on thetransfer cylinder 18 is connected to rotate with the gear 22 through thegears 30, 31. This cam shaft 29 is provided with a cam 32 which controlsthe movements of the pins 33, 34, of a tumbler cam mechanism through therock lever 35. The tumbler cam 36 on the shaft of the grippers 19 isoperated every other revolution of the transfer cylinder 18 for openingthe grippers 19 to receive a printing sheet from the grippers 17 on thecylinder 16, closing said grippers 19 and again opening the grippers fortransferring the printing sheet to the grippers 6 on the impressioncylinder 3. It is to be understood that the grippers 19 on the transfercylinder take a sheet every fourth revolution of the transfer cylinder.

The stationary cam 37 is movable to two different positions according towhether the grippers 17 on the sheet feeding cylinder 16 are to open tofeed printing sheets to the grippers 19 on the transfer cylinder 18 orslip sheets to the grippers 15 on the delivery cylinder 11. In theaccompanying drawings, the cam 37 is shown in full lines in its positionfor transferring slip. sheets to the cylinder 11 and in dotted lines inposition for transferring printing sheets to the cylinder 18. Astationary cam 38 is arranged in .position to open the grippers 6 forreceiving a printing sheet from the grippers 19 on the cylinder 18.

The grippers 7 are opened to receive a printing sheet from the table 8by a tumbler cam mechanism, the tumbler cam being denoted by 39, thetumbler pins by 40, 41, the rock arm by 42 and the cam for controllingthe rock arm by 43, which cam is fixed on the shaft 44 of the impressioncylinder. The tumbler cam mechanism is shown herein as being arranged tooperate only the grippers 7 A stationary cam 45 is arranged in positionto open both the grippers 6 and 7 at the proper time to transfer eitherthe one printed sheet from the grippers 7 to the delivery cylinder 11 orwhere a double product is being produced to transfer the printed sheetsfrom both the grippers 6 and 7. A fixed cam 46 is arranged to open thegrippers 15 on the delivery cylinder 11 for receiving the printed sheetsfrom the grippers 7 when a slip sheeted product is being delivered orprinted sheets from both the grippers 6 and 7 when a double non-slipsheeted product is being delivered. A stationary cam 47 is arranged inposition to open the grippers 15 on' the cylinder 11 for receiving aslip sheet from the grippers 17 on the cylinder 16 when a slip sheetedproduct is being delivered. A stationary cam 48 is arranged in positionto open the grippers 15 for transferring either successive printedsheets or the alternating printed-and slip sheets, as the case may be,to the delivery reel 12.

A stationary cam 49 is arranged to open' the grippers 14 on the deliveryreel 12 for receiving the sheets from the cylinder- 11. A stationary cam50 is arranged in position to open the grippers 14 for delivering thesheets to the guides 13; feed rollers 51 driven from the reel 12 beingarranged to coact therewith for forwarding the sheets to the endlessdelivery carrier 10. These rollers 51 are driven from the gear 24through the gear 52 on-the shaft 53 of said rollers.

' The grippers 17 on the cylinder 16 are opened to receive sheets fromthe table 9 every second revolution of the cylinder 16 by means of atumbler cam mechanism including a cam 54 on the shaft of the grippers17, the tumbler pins 55, 56, the rock lever 57 and the cam 58 on the camshaft 59. This cam shaft is driven from the shaft 60 of the cylinder 16through the gears 61, 62.

The sheet stop for the table 8 is denoted by 63, which stop is mountedto swing on a shaft 64 and the stop is normally held in its loweredposition by the spring pressed means 65. The sheet stop is raised topermit the feeding of a sheet to the grippers 7 and held raisedthroughout the impression'surface 5 by means of a cam 66 mount ed torotate with the impression cylinder 3, which cam engages the rock arm 67of the said sheet stop. The said sheet stop 63 is also raised and heldin its raised position to permit the passage of the next succeedingsheet on the impression surface 4 by means of a fixed cam 68 mounted torotate with the cylinder 3. The sheet stop for the table 9 is denoted by69 and its rock shaft by 70. This sheet stop is held in its loweredposition by spring pressed means 71 and it is raised to permit thefeeding in of a sheet from the table 9 and held in its raised positionduring the passage of the sheet, by means of a cam 72 fixed to rotatewith the cam shaft 59, which cam engages one arm of a rock lever 73, theother arm of which is connected to the rock arm 74 on the shaft by meansof a connecting rod 75.

In the accompanying drawings, the parts are shown in the position whichthey assume for printing and delivering a slip sheeted product, theclutch interposed between the gear 22 and shaft 25 of the transfercylinder being disconnected and the cam 37 being shown moved into itsposition to open the grippers 17 on the sheet feeding cylinder 16 at theproper time to deliver the slip sheets fed from the table 9 to theprinted sheet delivery cylinder 11.

With the parts in the position shown, a printing sheet is fed from thetable 8 to the grippers 7 and after passing by the plate Y cylinders land 2, the printed sheet is transferred to the delivery cylinder 11.slip. sheet is fed from the table 9 to the grippers 17 on the cylinder16 and the said slip sheet is delivered by the grippers 17 to thegrippers 15 on theicylinder 11. The cylinder 11 therefore transfersfirst a printed sheet and then a slip sheet to the grippers 14: of thedelivery reel l2 and the said delivery reel delivers the sheets to thedelivery carrier 10 through the guides 13 and rollers 51. When it isdesired to deliver a double non-slipsheeted product, theprinted sheetson the table 8 are delivered directly to the'grippers 7 on theimpression cylinder 3 and the printing sheets on the table 9 are fed bythe gr1ppers 17 on the cylinder 16 to the grippers 19 on the printingsheet transfer cylinder 18,

the said cylinder being put into operative position by throwing in theclutch 26, 27-, between its shaft 25 and the gear 22. The stationary cam37 has also been moved to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 so as toopen the grippers 17 at the proper time to transfer the printing sheetto the grippers 19. These grippers 19 will transfer the printing sheetfed from the table 9 to the grippers 6 on the impression cylinder 3.These grippers 6 and 7 will successively transfer the printed sheets tothe printed sheet delivery cylinder 11, which, in turn, will deliver thesheets successively to the grippers 14 on the delivery reel 12 and fromthence to the endless delivery carrier 10 through the guides 13 androllers 51.

\Vhile the parts are herein shown as being arranged when a slip sheetedproduct is being delivered to have the grippers 15 on the cylinder 11take a printed sheet and deliver it one revolution and take a slip sheetand deliver it the next revolution, they may easily be adjusted so thatevery second revolution of the cylinder 11 the grippers 15 may firsttake a printed sheet from the grippers 6 of the impression cylinder andthen a slip sheet from the grippers 17 of the feeding cylinder and thentransfer the associated printed and slip sheets together to the grippers14 of the delivery reel 12. To accomplish this last named result, itwould only be necessary to set the feeding device a full revolution backor in advance of the position where alternate printed and slip sheetsare delivered every revolution of the cylinder 11.

Where adouble non-slip-sheeted product is being delivered, it will beseen that the delivery cylinder 11 will deliver a printed sheet everyrevolution thereof to the delivery reel.

By the use of the term cylinders in the feeding and delivery mechanisms,I wish to be understood as including any means capable of passing thesheets through the required paths for carrying out the results abovedescribed.

It is evident that slight changes might be nism andmeans arranged tofeed printing sheets from a source of sheet supply to theimpressioncylinder and; either printing sheets to the impression cylinder or slipsheets to the delivery mechanism but not to the impression cylinder fromanother source of sheet supply.

2. In -a rotary printing machine,'an impression cylinder, a sheetdelivery mechanism, two sources of sheet supply and means arranged tofeed printing sheets from one 4 source of sheet supply to the impressioncylinder and either printing sheets to the impression cylinder or slipsheets to the delivery mechanism but not to the impression cylinder fromthe other source of sheet sup 3. In a rotary printing machine, animpression cylinder, a sheet, delivery mechanism, acylinder arranged tofeed either printing sheets to the impression cylinder or slip sheets tothe delivery mechanism but not to the impression cylinder, from a sourceof sheet supply.

4. In a rotary printing machine, an impression cylinder having twoimpression surfaces and their sets of grippers, a sheet deliverymechanism, two sources of sheet supply and means arranged to feedprinting sheets from one source of sheet supply to one set of grippersand printing sheets to the other set of grippers or slip sheets to thedelivery mechanism but not to the impression cylinder from the othersource of sheet supply.

5 In a rotary printing machine, an impression cylinder, a deliverymechanism,-a transfer cylinder, means arranged to feed printing sheetsfrom a source of'sheet supply directly to the impression cylinder andmeans arranged to feed printing sheets from anothersource of supply tothe impression cylinder through the said transfer cylinder or slipsheets to the delivery mechanism but not to the impression cylinder.

6. In a rotary printing machine, an impression cylinder, a deliverymechanism, a transfer cylinder, means for feeding printing sheets from asource of sheet supply directly to the impression cylinder and a sheetfeeding cylinder arranged to feed printing sheets from another source ofsheet supply to the impression cylinder through the said transfercylinder or slip sheets to the delivery mechanism but not to theimpression cylinder.

7. In a rotary printing machine, an im &

pression cylinder, a sheet delivery cylinder, a sheet transfer cylinder,means for feeding printing sheets from a source of sheet supply directlyto the impression cylinder and transfer cylinder and means for feedingprinting sheets to the impression cylinder through the transfer cylinderor slip sheets directly to the delivery cylinder from a source of sheetsupply.

9. Ina rotary printing machine, an impression cylinder, a deliverycylinder, a

transfer cylinder and a sheet feeding cylinder arranged to feed printingsheets to the impression cylinder through the transfer cylinder or slipsheets directly to the delivery cylinder from a source of sheet supply.10. In a rotary printing machine, an impression cylinder, means forfeeding printing sheets thereto from one source, a sheet feedingcylinder arranged to feed either printing sheets or slip sheets fromanother source and a delivery cylinder arranged to take printed sheetsfrom the impression cylinder or alternating printed sheets and slipsheets from the impression cylinder and sheet feeding cylinder.

11. In a rotary printing machine, an imfrom the impression cylinder or aprinted sheet one revolution from the impression cylinder and a slipsheet the next revolution from the sheet feeding cylinder.

12; In a rotary printing machine, an impression cylinder having twoimpression surfaces and their grippers, means for feeding printingsheets from one source to one set of grippers, a delivery mechanism, asheet feeding cylinder arranged to feed from another source eitherprinting sheets to the other set of grippers on the impression cylinderor I slip sheets to the delivery mechanism, said delivery mechanismincluding a cylinder arranged to take successive printing sheets fromthe impression cylinder or first a printed sheet fromthe impressioncylinder and then a slip sheet from the sheet feeding cylinder. f i i Intestimony,'that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed myname in presence of two Witnesses, this thirteenth day of December, A.D. 1912.

HOWARD M. BARBER.

Witnesses:

A. R. STILLMAN, E. M. GRANT.

